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Authors: John Silver
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front of the RenCen toward the bend in the river under the Ambassador Bridge. He had to call the guy, tell him things were going good. Reassure him that he'd come up with the cash, soon.
Chris's pager lit up, displaying a code. A pickup in front of the Wintergarden. An airport run. He stamped out his cigarette and got in the limo. Chris straightened his tie and put on his cap, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror.
Chris pulled out of the lot onto Atwater and headed toward the RenCen. He passed by the near empty parking structure on Beaubien and slowed as he approached the Wintergarden doors. An attendant flagged him down. Next to him stood a large man in a royal blue tracksuit.
Vlad's head reared back when he recognized Chris. The attendant put Vlad's suitcase in the Town Car's trunk and held open the rear door. Vlad got in and sat back, amused, looking at Chris in the rearview mirror. Chris waited for a pedestrian to cross, then pulled onto Atwater.
"I did not know you were a taxi driver," said Vlad.
Chris kept his eyes on the road. "This is a limo. Not a taxi."
"So it is," said Vlad. "So, mister limo driver, why do you do this?"
Chris shrugged. "Day gig, part time. Gotta have some kind of job, for taxes. And cover."
Vlad considered this. "Maybe you could come work for me."
Chris looked at Vlad in the rear view mirror. "And do what?"
"I can think of many things," said Vlad. He looked out the window. "You know, your friend Eddie comes into my club. Quite often. He's told me a lot about you."
Chris frowned. Fuckin' Eddie. "And what did he say?" said Chris.
"How you came to him. How he likes you. How you work," said Vlad.
Chris nodded, wondering where this was leading, getting more pissed off at Eddie by the minute.
"He also says he never saw you with a girl," said Vlad.
"So?"
"Don't you like girls?"
"Sure I do."
"So why no women? No girlfriend?"
"What's with the personal questions?"
Vlad stared out the window. Chris pulled onto I-375 toward I-94 and the airport.
"Why don't I have a girlfriend?" said Chris. "Too much baggage. Don't have the time. There's certain things I want. End of story."
Vlad leaned forward. "And what is it you want?"
Chris smiled. "That's my business."
Vlad leaned back. "You know, my father was a fisherman," he said. "Worked on a trawler. Baltic Sea. A healthy life. It would have been much better for him if he had owned his own boat, don't you think?"
Chris's face turned red. Eddie the asshole, can't keep his mouth shut.
"Florida is very nice," said Vlad, looking out the window at the big Goodyear tire on I-94.
Chris gripped the steering wheel and changed lanes. "Yes it is," he said. He drove smoothly through traffic, got off on Merriman road and cruised up to the International Terminal. He got out of the car and pulled Vlad's bag from the trunk. Vlad didn't wait for Chris to come around and open the door.
"What do I owe you?" asked Vlad.
Chris looked up at him. Man, this dude was big. "Seventy five," he said.
Vlad handed Chris two hundred dollar bills. "You come with Eddie to my club when I return. Meet some girls, maybe talk some business." Vlad waved off a porter and picked up his bag. He leaned down and said, "You could be in that boat sooner than you think." Not waiting for a response Vlad turned and walked toward the terminal doors.
Chapter 12
Washington and Peabody Case Tiger's Den
Ann Peabody sat at the small conference room table in the Bunker, waiting for Washington. She was swiping her tablet computer, examining a street level view of the Tiger's Den. Cement gray with a pink awning and an orange neon sign that said Tiger's Den over an orange and black tigress, ready to pounce. Washington walked in carrying a cup of coffee. Peabody looked up at him.
"You're late," she said.
Washington looked at her squarely in the eyes and said, "Look, I've been assigned to help you, and I'll do that." He leaned over the table. "But if you think I'm going
Chris's pager lit up, displaying a code. A pickup in front of the Wintergarden. An airport run. He stamped out his cigarette and got in the limo. Chris straightened his tie and put on his cap, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror.
Chris pulled out of the lot onto Atwater and headed toward the RenCen. He passed by the near empty parking structure on Beaubien and slowed as he approached the Wintergarden doors. An attendant flagged him down. Next to him stood a large man in a royal blue tracksuit.
Vlad's head reared back when he recognized Chris. The attendant put Vlad's suitcase in the Town Car's trunk and held open the rear door. Vlad got in and sat back, amused, looking at Chris in the rearview mirror. Chris waited for a pedestrian to cross, then pulled onto Atwater.
"I did not know you were a taxi driver," said Vlad.
Chris kept his eyes on the road. "This is a limo. Not a taxi."
"So it is," said Vlad. "So, mister limo driver, why do you do this?"
Chris shrugged. "Day gig, part time. Gotta have some kind of job, for taxes. And cover."
Vlad considered this. "Maybe you could come work for me."
Chris looked at Vlad in the rear view mirror. "And do what?"
"I can think of many things," said Vlad. He looked out the window. "You know, your friend Eddie comes into my club. Quite often. He's told me a lot about you."
Chris frowned. Fuckin' Eddie. "And what did he say?" said Chris.
"How you came to him. How he likes you. How you work," said Vlad.
Chris nodded, wondering where this was leading, getting more pissed off at Eddie by the minute.
"He also says he never saw you with a girl," said Vlad.
"So?"
"Don't you like girls?"
"Sure I do."
"So why no women? No girlfriend?"
"What's with the personal questions?"
Vlad stared out the window. Chris pulled onto I-375 toward I-94 and the airport.
"Why don't I have a girlfriend?" said Chris. "Too much baggage. Don't have the time. There's certain things I want. End of story."
Vlad leaned forward. "And what is it you want?"
Chris smiled. "That's my business."
Vlad leaned back. "You know, my father was a fisherman," he said. "Worked on a trawler. Baltic Sea. A healthy life. It would have been much better for him if he had owned his own boat, don't you think?"
Chris's face turned red. Eddie the asshole, can't keep his mouth shut.
"Florida is very nice," said Vlad, looking out the window at the big Goodyear tire on I-94.
Chris gripped the steering wheel and changed lanes. "Yes it is," he said. He drove smoothly through traffic, got off on Merriman road and cruised up to the International Terminal. He got out of the car and pulled Vlad's bag from the trunk. Vlad didn't wait for Chris to come around and open the door.
"What do I owe you?" asked Vlad.
Chris looked up at him. Man, this dude was big. "Seventy five," he said.
Vlad handed Chris two hundred dollar bills. "You come with Eddie to my club when I return. Meet some girls, maybe talk some business." Vlad waved off a porter and picked up his bag. He leaned down and said, "You could be in that boat sooner than you think." Not waiting for a response Vlad turned and walked toward the terminal doors.
Chapter 12
Washington and Peabody Case Tiger's Den
Ann Peabody sat at the small conference room table in the Bunker, waiting for Washington. She was swiping her tablet computer, examining a street level view of the Tiger's Den. Cement gray with a pink awning and an orange neon sign that said Tiger's Den over an orange and black tigress, ready to pounce. Washington walked in carrying a cup of coffee. Peabody looked up at him.
"You're late," she said.
Washington looked at her squarely in the eyes and said, "Look, I've been assigned to help you, and I'll do that." He leaned over the table. "But if you think I'm going
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